School helps young grapplers wrestle with success

Thursday

Jul 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2008 at 7:14 AM

Jamie Jamitkowski considers his business to be a “double A ball club” to Word Wrestling Entertainment and strives to get his students there eventually.

About three days a week, Justin Romero drives from his home in Saco, Maine, to North Andover, Mass., to refine his skills in delivering body slams, arm bars, headlocks and other techniques to wear down opponents in the wrestling ring.

Romero, 18, is a student at Chaotic Training Center, a professional wrestling school on Belmont Street. Romero, who stands just under 5-foot-9 and carries 270 pounds, pays to get roughed up — and rough up others.

A fan of wrestling since he was 3, Romero dreams of wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment — known as the WWE — and he’s willing to pay his dues to get there. He plans to relocate so he can be closer to the school, get a new job and continue to train nights and weekends.

“They’ll go through the moves, (explain) how to take them and how to give it to someone step by step,” Romero said of the school’s trainers. “They show you how to do it the right way.”

The training center is the home of Killer Kowalski’s School of Pro Wrestling. Kowalski is a legend in the business, and some of his students, including Triple H, have achieved fame in the squared circle.

“Everyone here wants to be a pro, make it big, go to the WWE,” said Anthony Dugas, 15, of Maynard, Mass., one of the school’s youngest students.

Jamie Jamitkowski, who owns the school and Chaotic Wrestling, an independent promotion, considers his business to be a “double A ball club” to the WWE and strives to get his students there eventually.

Kofi Kingston, who holds the intercontinental championship belt in the WWE, came from Chaotic.

Jamitkowski can’t guarantee his students will make it to the big league, but he can promise that dedicated students will be part of the school’s “big family.” Some make it on Chaotic’s roster and wrestle at shows. Some serve as security and carry out other jobs at shows.

The shows are intended to be PG-13 family-friendly events, said Jamitkowski. Blood, cursing, spitting and throwing things at the audience is forbidden. The shows, held every two to three weeks, typically draw 150 to 200 fans.

“I like the excitement,” said Lisa Woodard, 46, of Lawrence, Mass., who came to see the wrestlers battle each other recently. “It gets your adrenaline going.”

Training is held three days a week. Most students pay $300 for 12 sessions.

On a recent night, wrestler and trainer Todd Smith told a student that he was delivering a clothesline — the use of a forearm to strike an opponent — too low on his opponent.

“You need to work on it,” he told the young man after he made another attempt, “but that’s better.”

Students are encouraged to adopt a persona or “gimmick” for the ring. That’s what “puts the entertainment into sport entertainment,” according to the school.

During his recent appearance in Lowell, Mass., Smith arrived at the ring wearing a silver robe and white gloves. He was the arrogant English wrestler, Don Chesterfield, “the Duke of Elegance.” Not exactly a fan favorite. Woodard, sitting in her seat, gave him two thumbs down.

“You need to be athletic in this business, and you certainly need to have a look. You need a personality, too,” said Jamitkowski.

Wrestlers who’ve made it big — such as The Rock, John Cena and Hulk Hogan — have both the skills and personality that make them stars, he said.

You don’t have to be big

Approximately 1,500 students have come through the school in the last eight years, and they’ve ranged from skinny guys to big college athletes.

“You don’t have to be big to do this. You have to be good at what you’re doing to do this,” said Smith. “Big is a plus. Being big can get you looked at a lot quicker. (But) you don’t have to be big.”

Trainers don’t know for sure how students will fare in their lessons when they first arrive, but Smith said he has a fairly good sense of which students will tough it out and which ones will quit.

“For the most part, you can tell who’s going to stick around and who’s not, who really wants to be a professional wrestler,” said Smith. “If you’re going to stick around, it’s because you want to be on TV … live your dream and make a living at this. That’s what we strive for.”

The atmosphere during classes is tough and intense but also friendly. Students shake hands when they arrive and leave. Safety is stressed.

“We try to keep them safe, to be safe in their moves,” said Brian Milonas, a 340-pound wrestler and trainer. “If someone is not serious, is not fully prepared, they could get hurt and hurt somebody else.”

To make it, students need to demonstrate perseverance, dedication and respect, said Jamitkowski. The first six weeks are the toughest.

“It hurts. In wrestling, it’s not a big mattress out there,” Jamitkowksi said, referring to the ring. “That’s a myth. It’s not a big mattress with big rubber bands around it. It’s a steel frame with wood. Not a lot of padding.”

Smith, who has achieved some national exposure in wrestling, said there is no right formula for how a wrestler gets noticed and invited to work for a big name wrestling company. A lot of times, he said, it’s about being in the right place at the right time.

“That’s what happens,” he said. “But whenever you’re in that place, you better be in the best shape of your life, be the best wrestler you can be.”